Q: When will new information be posted for the next Holocaust Remembrance Service?

A: We hope to have student guidelines, and the service date posted before the beginning of the school year each year. Details about location and guest speaker may take longer to determine. Note that the deadline for the Literary Competition will always be March 1, and the prompts will be posted well in advance of that deadline.

Q: If a student chooses to write a narrative poem using the prompt, are they required to write 500 words for the high school narrative poem?

A: A submission can be as long as needed to address the prompt, as long as it does not go beyond the maximum number of words.

Q: For the literary competition, should my daughter use her school counselor to support her, or her English/Social Studies teacher, or does it matter?

A: A student can use any of these options to support them when submitting an entry. Teachers or counselors can each earn prizes by having students of theirs submit essays or having students join them at the Holocaust Remembrance Service.

Q: I thought that prizes were bonds. Why are prizes gift cards/certificates now?

A: For many years the prizes were bonds. Then for a few years the prizes were iPads and Tablets. Recently it was suggested that gift cards would allow students/teachers to purchase books, or whatever supplies or rewards they choose.

Q: We would like to help support the efforts to encourage students and teachers to be learning about the Holocaust. Can we make donations for the Holocaust Remembrance Service or the Literary Competition?

A: Make donations to Northwest Louisiana Jewish Federation (245 Southfield Road, Shreveport, LA 71105) and specify that it is for the Holocaust Literary Competition. Thank you for your support!

Q: How can our church host the Holocaust Remembrance Service?

A: Contact the Northwest Louisiana Jewish Federation, or this year's current Chair of the event.

Q: How do I know that the judging is fair?

A: If submissions follow the guidelines to keep entrant's identity safe, the judges cannot know who submitted the entry or which school the entrant is from.

Q: When do students and teachers learn if they have won awards?

A: Judges are supposed to have winners determined during the first week of April, and the intention is to let the students know if they have won by the middle of April. Teachers who have had students submit any entries are already eligible for an award, and teachers with at least 3 students attending the service will also automatically receive an award during the service.

Q. My students participated in the past, but I did not receive essay prompt information this year for the competition. Who should be contacting our school?

A. Please check this website each year for the prompts, which should be posted during the summer with a deadline of March 1 the following spring. While attempts are made to contact each school, and parish school coordinators, sometimes there are complications (email addresses no longer valid, mail not delivered, etc.) Even if you do not receive the prompts, check the details on this website. If you still have questions, email here.

Q. Will poorly written entries be able to win a prize?

A. Teachers should help students to hone the submission so that it is worthy of submission. If insufficient entries meet the basic guidelines, then not all prizes will be awarded.

Q. How many entries are typically submitted?

A. The number of submissions vary each year, but often the total number of submissions for all categories is at least 100.

Q. Why are prizes so generous?

A. We feel that it is very important that students learn about the Holocaust for historical and humanistic reasons. When students are aware of this horrible time in the history of humanity, hopefully they will feel bolder about preventing injustice, and become more sensitive to the plight of others.